No Cricket Action? This 5-Year-Old Batsman Will Surely Make Your Day

Whether it's football, cricket or any other sport, the level of competition has jumped at a rapid pace over the years. The increased level of competition has forced the budding players to start honing their skills from an early age, so as to keep themselves in contention of turning pro.

The talent scouts, too, have realised that the identity of a star in the making is always visible in their early days. Batting great Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut at the age of 16. Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted by Sir Alex Ferguson at the age of 18. And the rest, as they say, is history.

India's persistent search to find the next Tendulkar brings us to a two-year-old video showcasing a miniature figure of what could probably go on to become one of the most distinguished batsmen for the country.

Rudra Pratap, who was just five years old in 2014 when this video was shot, can been smashing the opposition bowlers who look comparatively older than him.

Apart from his batting prowess, the cricketing gear of the pint-sized batsman is what really catches your eye. The right-hander appears so small that he had to wear a cap under his helmet to make it fit. On the other hand, the chest guard that he is seen wearing are actually thigh pads of a regular-height batsman.

For someone who looks barely taller than the stumps, Pratap surely misses a few deliveries but when he makes contact with the ball, you'd notice that the talent is visible. He plays the cut, drives and then goes on leave a few balls like a professional cricketer.

"Catch them young," is what the coaches are believed to say. And, this five-year-old kid playing for Delhi in an under-14 match surely corresponds to that statement.